LLEW O'BRIEN MP

Federal Member for Wide Bay

Working for Wide Bay

A competition that gives Wide Bay students the chance to name an icebreaker and win a trip to Antarctica has been extended until Friday 7 July.

Up to 12 students will be flown to Antarctica for a day and become the first children to set foot on the continent under the Australian Antarctic Division program, through the ‘Name our Icebreaker’ competition.

A similar competition in the UK saw a boat christened with the silly name Boaty McBoatface – but Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said he felt sure the students of Wide Bay could come up with a clever name for the icebreaker that reflected the importance of Australia’s long involvement with Antarctica.

The competition deadline has been extended by four weeks to allow more students the opportunity to enter, and give teachers the time to work through the curriculum-aligned modules about the icebreaker.

“This competition is an opportunity for Wide Bay students to learn about the links between Australia and Antarctica, and to put their creativity to the test in coming up with a smart name that demonstrates their knowledge about Antarctica,” Mr O’Brien said.

The ‘Name our Icebreaker’ competition has two categories: primary (years 5 and 6) and secondary (years 7 and 8), with classes able to enter their suggested name in a written or video format.

More information on the competition can be found on the Australian Antarctic Division’s website, ‘Classroom Antarctica’.

Construction of Australia’s new icebreaker started last week with the first pieces of steel cut for the 160 metre vessel.